by Judith Leger
“My mother.” This time, the words came out stronger,
almost a shout, the force behind them struck the dragon
again, shoving it deeper into the desert floor. The two beasts
on either side of the one who’d threatened Seren, slithered
several feet away, their heads dipped in submission, touching
the rippling ground.
Deep grunts came from the beast before him. “Arcane
instructed us to find this woman and bring her to him.”
A breeze fluttered over her son’s image, lifting and
moving the illusion of clothes and hair. “Arcane? You think
he is so strong he will stand against me? You would follow
death, my brother?”
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“Humans have long sought to destroy our kind. Do you,
human that you are, seek to carry through with their
desire?”
“Dare you question me?”
Magic circled her son’s form, visible to the eye with tiny
particles of power. Each one glinted in the hot sun. Another
magical blast struck the beast, but instead of forcing it lower,
it drew the dragon closer. “My mother has named me. Do
you desire to know that which is bestowed on me? It is
appropriate for who I am.
“I am Legion. Many in one. An unstoppable force to rule
over Avaris with a mighty fist, conjoining the clans. In my
veins, there flows even the blood of your clan leader, Karia.
Think you, she would approve of your actions this day?”
For the first time, the beast wavered in its angry resolve.
Its gaze flickered, and then the thickly lashed lids closed.
A low laugh came from Legion. “I think not. Your actions
of this day, the one against my beloved mother alone, have
sealed your fate.”
The air around the dragon shimmered like the heat waves
across the desert. The beast opened its mouth in a soundless
scream. Its body, starting at its nose, dissolved into a black
mist. Sparkling light flickered among the vapor and
separated from it, sucked in by her son.
Sudden pressure built in Seren’s abdomen. Power flowed
into her from her son’s image. The baby rolled, kicked, and
struck against his confines, drawing in the dragon’s magic.
The remains of the dragon disappeared. Having trouble
pulling a deep breath, shocked by the dragon’s death, she
glanced at her son.
He stared at the second beast which cowered a short
distance away.
“Be gone. Hie yourselves to Arcane. When he moves, you
will send word, even at the cost of your lives. Go. Now!”
Both remaining beasts answered the order by leaping into
the air. Neither looked back from their path leading
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northeast. Legion’s form, held together by his magic, fell
apart before Seren’s eyes. She cried out, one hand reaching
for her son. He disappeared.
A sob escaped from Seren. Paladin reached her and she
faced him. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her
tight against him. She buried her face in his chest and
whispered, “I didn’t want him to go.”
“I know, love, but his time will come. And soon. Have no
fear of that.” He placed a hand on the back of her head,
stroking her hair. “Come, we must hurry before any others
decide to join us. It is only a little ways more.”
She sniffed and nodded, struggling with need to see her
son again. Paladin steadied her. With her feet planted firm in
the sand, she glanced over at Ren. The wizard studied her,
his eyes narrowed in speculation.
He met her gaze and asked. “Has he ever displayed his
might like that in the past?”
“No. I’ve seen him only one time in a vision, but never in
such a way.”
“It’s good he manifested to the dragons. Word will spread
through the clans and beyond of his power. This will cause
many to reconsider going against him.”
“I suppose. I’m still scared even though he protected me.”
Ren grunted in response. He pivoted and started walking
in the direction of the rock formation again as though
nothing had happened. “Come, it’s best to reach the place
before the sol descends.”
Paladin kept an arm wrapped around her shoulders,
giving her strength. Without a word, they followed Ren.
The sun moved toward the horizon. Perspiration coated
Seren’s face. She swiped it with the sleeve on her cloak. She
tried to swallow, but the dryness in her mouth stopped her.
Her lips cracked in fine lines. Paladin passed her a water
pouch several times, stopping, and letting her drink a little to
restore the moisture she sweated out.
Legion’s actions against the dragon played out in her
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mind. He’d physically sucked the life from the beast until
nothing remained.
So, Arcane’s comment held truth. He’d gained power by
drawing the magic from others. She glanced at Paladin,
needing to question him, but deep in her heart she feared
what he would tell her. Was this how the dragons increased
their magic, by devouring the very essence of weaker ones?
She found no other explanation for the sudden increase of
strength in her body and womb after the dragon evaporated.
Up ahead, Ren reached the formation. He stopped not far
from it. The small party trailed behind him. So near, Seren
sensed what Paladin had spoken of earlier. Energy surged
around the huge slabs protruding from the desert, coating
the stones with a glistening layer.
“Wait here. I will open a way,” Ren told them, moving
closer to the barrier. Streaks resembling colored electricity
ran through the air before him. A multitude of colors, reds,
blues yellows and greens, mingled together to manifest into a
rainbow effect.
The wizard stopped. Winds coasting along the desert
increased, lifting his cloak away from his body, flashing
crimson on the inside and the deep navy on the outer side in
the waning light. Ren raised his arms, his staff, tipped with
the yellow dragon stone, held tight in his right hand. He
chanted—the words unclear and carried away with the
breeze.
Seren’s heart accelerated with the magic generated in the
domed barrier. Electricity spiraled in the air, sending tingles
through her body. She reached out and slipped her fingers
into Paladin’s hand, seeking security in his touch.
He pressed against her fingers, tightening his arm about
her shoulders, pulling her closer to his side. “Do not be
concerned. He will open a path. We will be safe for a time.”
“Hope so. My chest is starting to hurt, like there’s a heavy
weight on it,” she said, leaning against his side.
“This will pass once he secures an opening. Watch, love,
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he will soon move to the cavern’s mouth.”
The easy way he spoke the endearment brought a smile to
her
lips. He appeared assured with Ren’s actions. Sucking
back a fear-laden laugh, she hoped Ren Murdock didn’t do
anything to blow them away.
Several minutes went by, the sun slipped further over the
horizon’s edge. Ren, hair tossed about on his head, took a
slow step forward. Seren straightened and stared, amazed at
the man’s power. Another step and another until he stopped
some feet from where he’d started.
Paladin squeezed her lightly. “He’s done it. A gate is open
to the safekeeping.”
“Good, I’ll feel better knowing there’s something to slow
Arcane when he decides to attack.” She gave him a quick
one-sided hug. She moved from under his protective hold
and stepped to the gateway through the barrier.
“It will stop him dead.”
She glanced at him. “Dead? Don’t we wish?”
“Shh, do not ever say that word. It is forbidden.”
Surprised at the strength in his quiet comment, she
studied him. The way his brows drew together, and the tight
brackets on either side of his mouth revealed he believed
this. She shrugged, hoping to put him at ease. “It slipped out.
Sorry, but the word is no big deal on Earth.”
“Big deal?”
“Not important.”
“Ah, I see. Here, the dragons hear through magic what
each person, human, dragonseed, even Felerians say. With
dragonseeds, the connection also goes to their thoughts.” He
moved nearer and took her hand. “The night I found you, I
made one simple wish. They heard and responded. Because
of this, your life and mine have been irrevocably changed.”
She smiled, draping her arms around his neck. “For the
better I hope. One thing we do know, this will come to an end
and I will go home. To Earth.”
The same strange shuttered expression from earlier
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crossed over his features, renewing the question inside her.
He hid something from her. She felt it clear to her bones.
“Paladin...?”
He stopped her with a brief passing of his lips over hers.
“Come, we must move on. I’m not sure how long Ren can
maintain the opening for us.”
Deciding to let the matter sit until they had time to work
it out, she nodded and let him guide her through the
gateway. She eyed the wizard when they moved past him. He
frowned, concentration evident on his features. Once
everyone in their party entered, he moved past the spot he
stood and in the direction of the entrance to the cavern. The
barrier slipped into place, leaving no exit for the dragonseeds
within unless Ren opened another passage for them.
This did little to relieve her though. Doubts concerning
the barrier and Arcane’s power to break through stayed with
her. She glanced over at Paladin. He appeared so calm. Was
he? Again the doubts about his reasoning in coming to this
place rose. She wanted to believe in him, but too many
questions popped into her thoughts, making her question his
reasoning.
Trying to shove the negativity aside, she followed him to
the triangular shaped entrance into the cavern. Paladin
stopped. She came to a halt behind him, and Ren joined
them. At her side, the wizard raised a brow at her. “Welcome
to your new home.”
Paladin shook his head and glanced over his shoulder, a
slight smile on his lips. “Only for the moment.”
“If you wait here, I will continue to the living area and
clear out the dust and debris.” Ren offered.
“I’d rather we go with you. You’re going to use your spells
to do the cleaning, right?” Seren questioned, glancing at the
wizard.
“But of course, it is the only way to keep everything
organized and in its proper place.” Ren grinned at her. She
smiled in return. It pleased her that he appeared more at
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ease in her company. His good looks came alive with the
smile.
“If we go with you, we won’t be in the way?”
“Not at all. Come, mother to our unborn king. Let me see
if you care for my cleaning methods.” He proceeded to stroll
down the darkened corridor leading underneath the flowing
dunes of the desert.
Once inside, the blackness closed in around them, thick
and impenetrable. Ren’s footsteps, crunching the sand on the
stone floor echoed in the high ceilinged passageway. A flash
streaked in front of her followed by a flood of luminous light
from the yellow dragonstone on Ren’s staff. The eerie circle
of light from the stone carried across the space between and
several feet about them. On the walls on either side,
engraved designs flowed over the surfaces, etched by human
hands.
Seren moved closer to the wall on her right. She studied
the pictures carved there. Dragons amassed in the skies
above fleeing humans. A thrill surged to life in her veins.
“This is why they made this place?” she asked, reaching
up to lay her palm on the wall.
“Do not touch,” Ren’s order came too late.
Images and sounds entered Seren’s body through the
pictures. Humans screamed in terror, their clothes, hair,
even their very flesh burned under the dragons’ flames.
Compassion for the lost lives released her from the vision.
She slid her hand down and away, balling her hands into
fists.
“The marks were magically encrypted so their
descendants would never forget the tribulation they
suffered.” The wizard stepped to her side. “This place was the
sanctuary of the golden dragon so the magic in the walls is
more intense.”
Both she and Paladin faced Ren, shocked at the wizard’s
answer. Paladin stepped closer to the wizard. “Is it safe for us
to come within its boundaries?”
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The wizard frowned at them. “The beast no longer exists
except for its bones and scales. I’ve been here many times. I
have never seen any signs of a live golden one. Nor have I
sensed its presence.”
More than a little surprised, Seren stared at him. She’d
seen the dragon at her purification. Paladin had too. “That’s
not true.” She motioned to Paladin. “We saw one.”
Ren shook his head and motioned with his head, “So he
has said, but until the time I can see with these eyes of mine,
I will continue to believe it is a hopeless cause. Mind you, I
will never cease my search, but I admit freely it is a useless
one. Come, we’re almost there.”
Confused by Ren’s attitude, she nodded. She reached and
took Paladin’s hand. The touch gave her strength to continue
after the wizard.
Ren moved deeper into the cave. The faint sound of water
dripping further into the cavern echoed, and soon, mingled
with their steps. The wizard halted. He tilted his head,
appearing to listen for something while he waited. Sere
n’s
heart picked up speed.
“What? Is there danger?” Paladin let go of Seren’s hand
and slid his hands over his sword handles.
The wizard turned and faced the wall on his right. He
lifted the staff so the dragonstone’s light extended to reveal
the bottom half of the wall.
Reddish brown worms, their many hairy legs swishing
back and forth, poured from a crevice in the stone.
She swallowed, wrinkling her face in disgust. She moved
closer to the two men so she stood between them. “I hate
worms.”
A frown flashed across Ren’s face as he glanced at her.
“Don’t we all?” Without waiting for her to answer, he began
walking again.
The path descended then rose to curve one way then the
other. At the end, stone steps rose to such a height they
disappeared into the outer edges of the light from the
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dragonstone.
They climbed the steps and came over the last one. The
rounded rock stretched out a good distance across. An
intricate design covered the entire surface. It reminded Seren
of a strange type of a pentagram. Then a thought came to
her. Years ago, she’d seen circles with marks similar to this
in a magazine article about alchemy. She glanced at Ren. Did
wizards here use a form of alchemy?
Dust-coated debris lay scattered over the surface. Ren
kicked a petrified board out of his way as he walked to the
center of the circle. Once there, he knelt, digging the sand
out of a groove. Once he appeared satisfied with his efforts,
he stood and placed the end of his staff into the slot.
He glanced at their small group. “Everyone, step back
onto the stairs. Stay against the walls. This will only take a
moment to finish.”
Doing what he asked, Seren caught Paladin’s gaze. She
lifted a brow in question. He grinned and nodded at Ren.
“Watch. You’ll see. It’s a simple spell.”
Releasing the staff, Ren brought his hands together in
front of his face. He closed his eyes and a look of total
concentration crossed over his features. A vortex of air
encircled the staff, widening until it streaked outside the
circle’s boundaries. The wind picked up every bit of debris in
the area. With a rush of air, it traveled to the shaft leading
out of the caverns.
When the current disappeared, Ren relaxed, bringing his
hands down to his sides. He grinned. “There now, we’ll be
